Review of ‘Storm Lines’ by Jessica L. Webb
I am so glad Webb is back! Jessica L. Webb is one of my favorite lesfic authors and I was disappointed when she didn’t release a book last year. I was so happy when I heard about this book and I could not wait to read it. I’m excited to say that I really enjoyed this and it easily reminded me why I’m such a fan of Webb’s.
The story is about Dr. Devon Wolfe and Constable Bridget “Marley” Marlowe. Marley and Devon meet after a traumatic episode and the two bond quickly. Devon is a doctor of psychology who is completely burned out from her stressful job, while Marley is trying to fit in with a police force that doesn’t care for an outspoken gay woman. The two women soon realize that some rules are meant to be broken and that they will do whatever it takes to save a child that they both care for. Will the two of them working together be enough to protect her?
One of the things I really like about Webb is that she writes stories unlike any others I have read before. Her creativity gene is impressive and we readers get the benefit of it. This book is a little hard to put a tag on. While you could call this an action-romance, there is not a ton of action. There are parts I would even call family drama but I guess the best tag I could put on is intrigue. There is a mysterious element through the book and some puzzle pieces to put together. But it is also really about people and this small found family unit that has come together.
This is a much slower paced book than Webb’s Dr. Kate Morrison series. However, that does not stop you from getting hooked into this book. The opening scene absolutely grabs you and you know you are in for something good. I felt like I had to finish this in one sitting since I needed to know how it would end.
As the pace, the romance itself is very slow-burn. The romance has a different feel than I expected. This book is almost not about a romance, but more about a connection and two people falling in love. I hope that makes sense. You see this bond-forming and getting stronger and stronger even before the characters so much as kissed. You just know these two are meant to be together and that they will get there when they are ready. I can see some readers thinking it is too slow but I didn’t mind because it felt a bit different than the norm and I completely believed in their connection. I just suggest that people don’t go reading this expecting a hot and heavy romance. It’s lighter but substantial.
There is a young little girl character named Aimee that I have to mention. She just stole my heart. She is one of the better kid characters written in lesfic that I can remember. She was so adorable one minute and your heart is breaking for her the next. Aimee and her grandmother are so well written that they really made the book come alive.
While this book was a little less action and it was slower paced than I expected, it was still classic Webb and such a good read. This is the kind of book that will stay with me for a while. It was well written and different enough that I’m not going to forget it anytime soon. I would not be surprised if it is one of those books that the more time goes by that I will appreciate it even more. I absolutely recommend this to readers who are looking for something a little different. This was a good one and I hope we don’t have to wait another two years for Webb’s next book.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
